God of All Comfort

I try not to talk about my health issues very much because I feel like I'm just feeling sorry for myself - which many times I am - however, I ran across (funny how that works) a passage during my quiet time this morning that really hit home.  It just spoke to my heart in such a clear way that I felt that God wanted me to share.

A little background first - I no longer work outside the home because of health issues.  We have recently moved to North Carolina and live in a cabin on a mountain with only one neighbor in sight.  I have not met anyone here yet and have not started visiting churches due to the pain that is associated with a herniated disc. Because of this isolation, I feel that at this time and in this place, my ministry has to be through written word to unknown receivers.  I am trusting God that He will deliver my heart through my words to those who can be comforted and find faith in Jesus my savior.

I have been struggling with severe back and leg pain for the last six months.  An MRI was finally ordered and revealed that I had a herniated disc that was pinching my nerve root causing sciatic pain.  While I was not happy with this diagnosis, it at least gave me hope of a cure.  However, to make a long story short, I am not a good candidate for surgery due to my other issues.  So I find myself with only the hope that God will cure or give me the strength and mercy to function with the pain and limited ability.

I happened to read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 this morning. As is often the case, I find that during my quiet times, if I read long enough, God is going to speak to me about something I'm struggling with or something that a friend is struggling with.  This morning was no exception:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction"

Note - Here is a promise that God will comfort us in all of our affliction and what is amazing is that the God of the universe goes on to give us an answer to our question "why must we suffer"

"so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."

Wow!!  My suffering isn't in vain - not only is God going to comfort me but he is also going to use my pain to help others in their pain - he even says that I will share in the pain of Christ - I can't even get my head around this completely, but when I look at my suffering compared to Christ's suffering - this is a reality check and a sure fire cure for feeling sorry for myself.

"If we are afflicted it is for your comfort and salvation: and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

Here is another blow to my ego as Paul reminds us of his sufferings, but we already have the promise that God comforts us in all of our afflictions - he doesn't use a scale.  Notice also that Paul says our afflictions can result in salvation!  What more could we ask for?  This makes my pain bearable and that is comfort in itself,  but Paul also tells the Corinthians that his hope for them is unshaken.  He turns the suffering around - he doesn't dwell on it and question it - his love and hope is for those who he ministers to.  My prayer is that God will give me this love for others that will outweigh my pain and circumstances.  Paul goes on to explain the depth of his despair.

"For we do not want you to be unaware brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.  For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death."

Paul completely opens his heart here when he talks about the depth of his affliction to the point of death!  But in the next verse he is quick to give a heavenly reason for even this extensive pain.

"But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us."

Bingo!  He brings it home.  Sometimes God allows pain, suffering or a dangerous situation to make us not rely on ourselves but on Him!  This makes my anxiety drop as I stop trying to "fix" things and simply go to Him for my comfort and His answer to whatever it is I'm going through.  Next Paul makes a confirming statement that we can adopt for ourselves.

"On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again."

Paul finishes off with the reason for prayer.

"You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."

I never stop being amazed at the Bible and how it speaks to our individual problems.  There is so much content in these few verses, so much wisdom, comfort, direction and truth!

Whatever your affliction might be - death of a loved one, an illness, a hurtful relationship, finances --- you are promised that if you turn to God for your comfort, He will not only provide the mercy that you seek but He will also use it to comfort others -- even to the point of their salvation.  The hurtful and painful situations that we find ourselves in can be used to the glory of His name and will allow us to play a part in the building of His kingdom!  Instant relief is not promised - comfort is promised, furthering God's kingdom is promised, as well as salvation.

I don't know what you are going through but it is my prayer that you will find comfort from God through my words and that they may point you to Jesus who suffered the ultimate sacrifice in order for those of us who believe to find our eternal comfort.  I would love to hear from you!  I love reading comments!  I don't confess to have all the answers but I know who does!

Have a blessed day!
Meschill

Why Stampin' Up! (Part 4)

Happy Monday!  At last, the final chapter in my little story.  I hope at least some of you have enjoyed it.  I think it has been a bit therapeutic for me, but I promise in future posts not to be quite as introspective and actually provide you with some useful information.

Although I wasn’t scrapbooking for several years I continued to stamp.  I loved making cards and other gifts for people.  During this time, I dabbled with another company – Stampin’ Up!, which I believe is the best rubberstamping company in existence.   The stamps are awesome and their system of color coordination among ink, markers, paper, ribbon, and embellishments is wonderful.  I was also working at the time and once again gave up this endeavor due to a lack of time.

At this point, the setting will change.  Fast forward several years and a move across the country.  I once again wanted to work from home and tried a short stint with a skin care company and while I loved the products, my heart just wasn’t in it.  I also started a teaching job but had to quit due to medical issues once again.  So here we are at the present time and finally I am getting to the question of why I have become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  After explaining my history with scrapbooking and rubberstamping, I hope that question is easy to answer.  No other occupation – and I have tried several – has meant so much to me.  This is something that I love, that I am passionate about, and that I believe in.  Especially with our present age of technology – a handmade, handwritten card can mean so much to a friend or family member.  Through this hobby, ( I hate to call it that but to call it a way of life seems a little overdramatic), once again I hope to inspire others and watch them experience the friends that can be made and the lives that can be changed through scrapbooking, rubberstamping, and expressing oneself through art.

So there you have – not quite in a nutshell – my heart and desire to return to my first love.

Coming up - my next few posts will be about our adventures as my best friend, Debbie, visits for two weeks.  

We always have a great time together and love to share things that we find.  You will also be graced by her photography.  I will share with you the places we visit, the projects we attempt, and who knows what else.  If you want a sneak peak of how we roll, read my posts from one of our junking trips to Dallas here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Meschill

Why Stampin' Up (Part 3)

Welcome to Part 3 about why I decided to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I'm enjoying sharing this story and appreciate those who are following along.  I would for you to leave comments!

As I continued experimenting with scrapbooking,  I met a Creative Memories Consultant and I fell in love with the company.  The natural teacher in me was dying to share my new found passion with others so naturally I became a consultant.  This was the beginning of a wonderful time in my life.  For the next 10 years

I continued with Creative Memories

 Meeting many wonderful people

 Hosting extravagant workshops

 and even attending a national conference.  I loved teaching and planning the workshops.  With my health improving and my daughters in high school I went back to work and discovered that I no longer had time to be a consultant.  However, I continued to scrapbook until a tragic event which changed my life forever.  My oldest daughter passed away after an auto accident.  For years I could not bring myself to continue making scrapbooks out of the vast number of photos still waiting for a home.  I would try, but it was just too hard.  

Kristi had enjoyed scrapbooking as well and although it was something that had always brought me such joy – I just didn’t have the heart for it.

  During these first years following the accident, I came to realize how important those years of preserving our memories would be.  I had at least 20 scrapbooks that included pictures, memorabilia, and stories.  I can’t express how precious those albums are to me and to my family.  I have also heard from past customers about how scrapbooking has enriched their lives as well.

Today, scrapbooking has taken on many different forms but the idea is still the same - enriching lives by preserving precious memories!

Next time - Stampin' Up!

Thanks for stopping by!

Meschill

Why Stampin' Up (Part 2)

Welcome to Part 2 of why I am once again a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  Part 1 was entitled Worst Blogger.

Before I get started on the story I wanted to share what I've been doing today.

Something new to Stampin' Up! since I've been with the company is Paper Pumpkin.  Each month you get a new kit with everything you need to make a project like this.  My kit consisted of everything to make four cards with envelopes and a little stamp set and two mini stamp pads that can be used over and over!  If you're interested in more information on how you can subscribe to Paper Pumpkin Click Here 
or leave a comment and I will get back with you personally!

And now................................

The story begins many years ago. 

My daughters were just starting elementary school and I had just been diagnosed with Lupus.  

Due to some complications with my medical issues I was once again a stay-at-home-mom.  In my pursuit of meaningful things to fill my days, I decided that I would make a scrapbook.  Now you have to consider the fact that scrapbooking was not a major player in the craft industry at this time and I had never even heard of Creative Memories, which at that time, was the only supplier.  I did research - something that I love to do - and met some online friends who were doing the same thing.  

My old Creative Memories customers will laugh, but I started with a three ring binder, a box of page protectors, and some construction paper.  My first pages were rather simple and rough but I had discovered my new love!  I don't have many of those first pages. Most of them have been redone.

With more research, I learned the dos and don’ts, which adhesives to use, the importance of all materials being acid free, and how to lay out a page.  





During this time I also discovered rubber stamps.  I met many wonderful people online, some local and some far away.  I learned many things from these friends and became a member of a group of ladies that got together and scrapped and rubberstamped just about every week.

Join me next time as the story continues to my Creative Memories Days!

Worst Blogger

Hello World!  

Ok, I admit it.  I am the worst blogger ever!!!!!  

I haven't written a post since November of last year. 

So much has happened.......... but I won't bore you with the details.

****** Due to medical reasons I am no longer teaching.  

******We are now living on St. Helena Island, 

One of the Sea Islands of Beautiful Beaufort by the Sea in South Carolina. 

 I am still marveling at the beauty that we are blessed to see each day. 

******Finally, I am once again a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator. 

 So now you're caught up!  Whew, I can wipe that guilt from my mind!  AND I vow to be a better blogger!!!!!!!

My posts over the next few days are mainly about why I decided to return to my first love - rubberstamping and scrapbooking - hence Stampin' Up!

.

This is a rather long story and probably boring to some, but I know there are some old friends out there, and maybe some new ones, who will be interested.  

Old friends - you know who you are! :)

The story begins many years ago……

Look for my next post as I reminisce a bit – but ultimately for a reason.  Now is that a spoiler or what?  P.S. I LOVE COMMENTS!!

Have a blessed day!

Meschill

Happy Monday

Happy Monday Friends!

Quite a bit has happened since my last blog post and I could bore you with all the details but I would rather just start where I am.

We are living in beautiful Savannah, Georgia

What an amazing place to be!

Just loving life with my husband right now.

Last night I made dinner which consisted of Salmon Patties, Squash Casserole, and Spinach Salad.  The Spinach Salad was from The Pioneer Woman Cooks and I got the casserole from Pinterest.  I wasn't that impressed with the squash so I will continue to look for a better recipe but the Spinach Salad was wonderful!  I love that cookbook!  The meal required chopping two onions - not one of my favorite pastimes.

Lots of tears and sniffles.  I have however come to the conclusion that if you drink wine while chopping, there will be far less tears!

Well, enough about dinner!  I plan to open my Etsy Shop this week as well as a Facebook Page under the name, The Tattered Hankie - kinda a silly name but it describes me pretty well and is close to my heart.  I think I got my love for hankies (as well as tea cups) from my grandmother, Nanny.  The shop will have handmade jewelry created by my Mom and Dad, Shabby Chic Christmas decorations including Stockings, Vintage Finds and Re-creations, and more created by me.  I hope you'll check it out.  I will let you know as soon as it opens!

Here is a little sneak preview - I made these this morning and I'm sure they will find their way onto Stockings!

Thanks for stopping by!  I love comments!

Meschill

We Have A Dream

I want to warn you up front that this post may be rather long, but Rick and I have a dream and I feel a need to express it in writing or print or cyberspace, whatever these blog musings are.  The dream requires a lengthy explanation hence the lengthy post.......

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated, yes we chose to call it celebrating, Kristi's 7th year in heaven with Mattie and Cody in South Carolina.  It was a sweet (TV-free) time of fun and conversation.  I am so thankful for what God is doing through them although the distance is taking a toll on all of us; our family has been through so much that I really believe we are meant to be closer.

This morning I was thinking back on this past year - Mattie getting married - moving across the country - but also about the birth of a dream.  Let me back up a bit.............last summer while planning a wedding we were also planning a road trip across several states to help Mattie and Cody move to their new home and new life on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  At about the same time I found out that my great grandmother's family was from upper state SC and had lived on a plantation there.  My great grandmother was a very special lady and I of course wanted to see this plantation - well it turned out that it was for sale - which got the history teacher and romantic in me to thinking about how cool it would be to open a bed and breakfast in the area where my family had lived - so Rick and I planned a little side trip to see the plantation.  In so doing we found another bed and breakfast in the area to spend the night - oh, did I mention that it was also for sale?  As we drove north from Hilton Head I can't tell you how beautiful and peaceful it was.  In a strange way I felt very at home.  On the way to the bed and breakfast, Walnut Lane Inn, we found my family's plantation.  I'm so thankful that I got to see it and although beautiful it was not really b and b material.  When we arrived at the gracious Walnut Lane Inn, my heart skipped a beat - this huge majestic house radiated warmth and hospitality.  Surrounded by lush landscaping, Rick and I sat on the porch and listened to a symphony of birds' songs as we de-stressed after some very busy, wedding preparation months.  What I felt there reminded me of another time - the summer after losing Kristi we were invited to spend some time in northern Arizona.  We were hosted by some dear people who just spent time with us and shared the amazing mountains and landscapes which represented God's beauty after a time of terror and heartache.  I can't explain it but that week began the healing process for me as I drank in God's majesty and was given the freedom to talk or not talk with people who truly cared about what I was going through.  The memory of that time and the peacefulness of this new place were the seeds for the dream - what if I could create that same oasis for other hurting parents - the parents that I still receive emails from, crying and begging me for hope after the loss of their own children.  Little did I know that Rick was thinking the same thing.

It is now a few months short of a year later and we have prayed, talked, figured and prayed some more and the dream just won't go away.  Despite the obstacles, we still believe that this is where God is leading us.  In case I have been allusive, our dream is to buy the Walnut Lane Inn and use it not only as our career and livelihood, but also a place where I can host the parents that I still receive emails from, a place where they can come, free of charge and expectation, and experience God's beauty and peace if only for a short time.  We have drawn up a business plan and are confident that the bed and breakfast, which is also a wedding venue, would support itself as well as the ministry to parents who have lost children.  There are obstacles, as I mentioned, we need to sell our house (it is currently on the market) and although the current owners of Walnut Lane Inn are willing to finance, they require a very large down payment - something that we do not have - but we are trusting that God will provide if it truly is His will.  After losing Kristi, I have always felt that there would be some type of ministry that God would provide where we could use our experience to honor not only her memory but most of all His greatness - could this be it?

I'm not sure why I felt a need to share this dream in my little blog where I'm not even sure if anyone will read i,t but just getting it out has helped me to solidify the dream.  If there are readers out there - I would appreciate your prayers as we wait for God's provision to fulfill Our Dream.............

Meschill

Good Sunday Afternoon!!  

 

 I don't know about you but I'm already getting into the "Christmas Spirit" mood.  If you are too, I have three great opportunities for you:

 

1)  Plan to visit Debbie and me at the Jingle Bell Bazaar (Sami Show) in Austin, Texas at the Palmer Events Center, Saturday, Dec. 1 9-5 and Sunday, Dec. 2 11-5.

 

2)  Plan to visit Debbie and me at the Salado Stroll Trade Days, Dec. 7, 8, and 9.

 

3)  Get started on your handmade Christmas cards by visiting My Stampin' Up! online store.

 

Finally, check out these great promotions: 

FREE Ink for Hostesses & New Demonstrators

HOSTESS PROMOTION

From 1 November through 16 December, host a minimum $450 Stampin' Up! party and get a FREE collection of ink pads*-a $49.95 value-in addition to our other fantastic benefits!

Your Party Sales**	Free Ink Collection	Hostess Dollars	Items at 50%
$450	Yes!	$65	1 item
$500	Yes!	$80	2 items
$700	Yes!	$115	3 items
$900	Yes!	$145	4 items

Don't have time to host a party this month? That's okay! You can place a $450 order through  My Online Store and still earn a FREE collection of ink! Just use one of the following item numbers when you check out:

• 132652 Brights Classic Stampin' Pads
• 132653 Subtles Classic Stampin' Pads
• 132654 Regals Classic Stampin' Pads 

DEMONSTRATOR PROMOTION

From 1 November through 16 December, when you join the Stampin' Up! family as a demonstrator, you'll get a FREE collection of Classic Stampin' Pads*-a $49.95 value!
Being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator already affords you so many benefits:

• A twenty percent product discount!
• A subscription to Stampin' Up!'s exclusive demonstrator magazine!
• Eligibility to attend Stampin' Up!'s demonstrator-only events!
• Access to Stampin' Up!'s demonstrator community, where you can interact with thousands of demonstrators around the world and find tens of thousands of project ideas!

Don't let this INK-credible opportunity pass you by! Contact me to get started today at meschillb@gmail.com.

Catching Up

It's been a while.....

Mattie is married and is now living in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island!  She is so blessed to be married to an amazing Youth Minister and to live in such a beautiful place.  I'm happy for her but sure would like to be closer.

School is underway......

Christmas is On the way......

And Debbie and I are swept away!  

You see we have decided to take our little sideshow on the road - by that I mean we will be providing the whole world, well maybe just our corner, the chance to peak into our souls and take a bit home.  Yep, we have three shows planned before Christmas.  We have been working away with our vintage goodies making all kinds of things for you!

The first show will be this weekend - Sami Show at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton.

For a sneak preview check out Debbie's new blog by clicking here! 

 Come out and see us!!

Meschill

A time to dance....

My daughter Mattie is getting married in July to an amazing young man, Cody.  Once again God has blessed our family.

  




  Mattie's wedding photographer is my best friend Debbie.  I'm sure you remember  her from several of my posts about our junking adventures, but if not you can read about one here.





She does amazing work and we are lucky to have her!  A few weeks ago she did a short photo shoot at White Rock Lake in Dallas for their save-the-dates.




 It was a cold, windy, and miserable day but she worked her magic and got some fabulous pictures, of course she had two pretty gorgeous subjects to work with but I may be a tad bit biased!



  
 Anyway, I wanted to share a few of my favorites from the day. Have a great day!

Meschill

Same Pain, 6th Time

And so it came again

Thought it would be easier

I was wrong.

But once again

God is faithful

Surrounding me with caring people

Some who walked in the dark with me

Those six years ago.

Some new caring souls

Brought into my life by God's grace.

And once again

Today is a new day

A chance to live a life

Pleasing to God and in remembrance of her.

On The Road Again......

Hey!  Debbie and I will be off on a road trip to Waco on Monday.  Check back for highlights from our quest for vintage goodness!

Meschill

Warning! Remove Nose From Books

Happy October!  Being a new teacher I feel that I have not done anything in the last few months except decorate my classroom, grade papers, and do lesson plans.  This weekend however, I decided that there is more to life than lesson plans so I spent some time in my art loft.  Eureka!  My stress level has been lowered and I feel a little more like my old self.  Oh the joy of rubber stamping!

Last week I had to place a Stampin' Up order to meet my quota so today I played with some of my new toys.

Everything is from Stampin' Up.  The new catalog is out and I have some extra copies if you would like one.

I'm getting into the Christmas card, tags and gifts making mood!  My goal is to use the stamps I have and only purchase paper.  Do you think I can do it?


Well, I hope you have a wonderful week.  Please comment; I love to hear your thoughts!

Meschill

I'm Back!!!!

Wow - it feels as if I have finally stepped out of the fog.  For those of you who don't know (and may not care) I have been going to school for the last year and also working on my teacher certification for the last three months.  Well I am more than happy to say that I AM THROUGH!!!!!!  Finally after more years than I care to admit, I have graduated from college.  I am also through with my certification exams so now all I need is a job!

This weekend was the first in a very long time that I didn't have to study and I enjoyed it immensely.  I cleaned and organized my bedroom and my art loft (which still needs a name - any suggestions).  During this mad cleaning dash I enjoyed my pandora radio listening to Pink, Mozart, and the Beatles.  HA!  Don't even try to put me into a category!

I have tons of projects to work on this summer - remember all of that STUFF that I bought on Meschebbie's Magical Mystery Tour?  If not see my earlier posts!

Plans for the summer:

Frame and hang old family photos

Meschebbie's Magical Mystery Tour Scrapbook

Birthday cards for the whole year

Find something creative to do with all of my antique lace and linens

Paint my kitchen cabinets

Paint my un-named art loft

Find out more history on my house

Redecorate my upstairs bathroom

Teach VBS

Go to youth camp in New Mexico

Visit Mattie

Ok, so you get the idea!  Debbie and I are also wanting to start a business!  Oh, and I also plan to make tons of altered art!

Something I've been thinking about this weekend - Dreams.  Not the kind you have at night.  My dreams are:

To have an effective ministry

To become a mixed media artist

To be a teacher

To write

One final thing - please pray for my dad - he was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.  Miraculously it has not spread.  He will have surgery to remove part of his lung as well as insert a stint and possibly a bypass.  The date is May 25th.  

Thank you and have a great week!

Meschill 

What Part of Party Don't You Understand

Day 5 - Meschebbie's Magical Mystery Tour

We started the day early as usual to make a trip back to Dolly Python because we had been told that they would be having a flea market in the parking lot.  Great stuff!!!!  Great prices!!!!  We picked up several treasures here including an old suitcase and birdcage for Mattie, more keys and little glass bottles.  Debbie also found some keepers including a fantastic mirror which features a crown and two unicorns - can't wait to see what she does with that!

Next we planned to head back to Deep Ellum to take some pics of these cool silver birds but found ourselves  in Highland Park at, can you believe it, a park.  We stopped so we could take pictures.  Debbie really enjoyed the photo shoot and I've included some of the pictures.  I joke about her big girl camera but seriously she is an amazing photographer!  While she took pictures, I enjoyed some much needed chilaxin' watching the ducks - oh, yeah, did I mention there was also a gorgeous lake, well maybe a creek?

 There is just something about spending time in nature especially in the Spring - it has healing powers!  Wordsworth wrote "Revisiting the natural beauty of the Wye fills the poet with a sense of "tranquil restoration".  This is so true.  I really enjoyed a sense of renewal watching and listening to the gentle ripple of the water as the ducks skimmed easily over the glass lake.  But I digress .......

We said farewell to the beauty of the little park, our nice surprise for the day, and set out to find the Swiss Avenue Historic District which was one of the first swanky neighborhoods in Dallas.

The street was lined with gorgeous old mansions in several different styles.  The neighborhood began in the early 1900's.  It was fun to see the different styles and unique characteristics of the stately homes.  

 

Next, we headed back home to pick up Mattie for lunch.  We decided to try another "best of Dallas" - The Grape which is said to have the best cheeseburger.  It's located in Uptown, a neighborhood that we now know well.  The street is lined with restaurants with outside dining and the patios were full of spring-loving diners enjoying the sun and conversation.  We noticed however, that The Grape was not crowded, in fact the closer we got the more empty it appeared. Well, I'm sure you have guessed that it was closed - closed on Saturday?  We were hungry so we just decided to try the Blue Goose next door.  This eatery turned out to be mexican food and as luck would have it they were serving Brunch.  Mattie and I took advantage of this and had Eggs Benedict and Migas respectfully.  Debbie had Quesadillas.

It was nice to visit with Mattie and hear about her trip to California.

Next we headed to Frisco for a visit to a huge Asian Market.  Mattie was able to pick up some spices for a dish that she wanted to make and Debbie and I collected some Asian newspapers for use in art projects so the drive to Frisco was worth it.  Next we went to a huge DSW so Debbie could do a little shoe shopping. As I said the store was huge and was decorated with a shoe chandelier.

Well, sadly our shopping trip has come to an end but we have some great memories, new fave shops, and tons of treasures.  In my next few posts I will let you in on some of our goodies and what we plan to do with them.  We also want to thank Pink for the inspiration for our daily titles.  Tomorrow we head home but who knows what adventures we may encounter along the way so stay tuned!  I'll leave you with a funny little story.  Debbie was taking a picture of one of the shops and two men yelled at her, "miss, miss" and posed wanting to have their picture taken so of course she did.  Little things like that have just made us laugh and smile this week.  We're anxious to hear your comments and maybe your spring break adventures or your fave vintage or thrift shops!